Howl's Curse
by Loup Garou Of The Bayou
Summary: Every female in Howl's family line is immortal. At least until they complete an accord sworn long ago. Only females of the line must fulfill the accord to protect the leader of Amestris with their life, because the swearer of Howl's family line was female. Now, after 50 years of protecting leaders of Amestris, Howl is still around.
1. She Came Here In His Arms

Howl was confined deep underground, her hands and ankles chained to a damp, mossy wall. Her red robes were tattered and hung loosely on her body. Her black hair was dirty and dull. Howl's skin was pale, and her amber eyes were dull, but she was alive. It was kind of like, the lights were on, but nobody was home. It had been almost one hundred years since she was confined down her, but she still was among the living.

Howl was immortal.

She came from a family line that stretched all the way back to when Amestris was first founded. Her great great great grandmother had made an accord with the first leader of Amestris after the leader saved her life. The accord was that all females of the family line would protect the true leaders with their lives. Only once they had given their life to save the true leader's life, could they die. But Howl, she had tried for decades to save the lives of the leaders of Amestris. But each time she saved one, and she received fatal injuries, she did not die. Fifty years and three leaders later, she was still alive. The people of Amestris had seen her inability to die, and attacked her. She didn't remember much, except a lot of pain, and when she woke up, she was chained in the small cell. Howl hadn't been able to see the sun for years. She had lost track of the time that had passed, but she needed to get back to Amestris. Was Amestris still around?

Having nothing else to do, Howl faded into sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Yelling and loud noises began to pull Howl out of sleep. Groggily, the child opened her eyes and blinked rapidly. The noises became louder, and Howl became more alert. For the first time, she was hearing another voice.

"Colonel! We found a door with a skeleton lock! Do you still have the key?!"

Howl's ears perked up as she heard the clinking of a key in a lock, and the heavy stone door was pushed open.

White light flooded Howl's small cell so she hissed and hid her eyes. She kept her eyes closed, even as she heard people rush in, shouting back and forth. A rough hand was placed on Howl's arm, and she opened her eyes.

The hand wore a white glove with a red design she didn't recognize. The arm wore a blue uniform, and the human had black hair, and the rank of a colonel on him. He spoke softly to Howl,

"We're gonna get you out of here. We just need you to stay calm."

Howl sighed and closed her eyes. There was no way they would be able to unlock these chains. The key was gone. Far away with that traitor named-

_Click_

Howl's chains went slack, and the shackles fell away. Howl opened her eyes and rubbed her raw wrists, which had disappeared under her red sleeves. Howl's body began to shake from the overload of action. Another man with a cigaret in his mouth put a blanket around Howl's shoulders. Howl sunk down gratefully so she could crouch there, wrapped in the blanket as she struggled to hold onto consciousness. Another large muscled man who wasn't wearing a shirt came over and gently picked Howl's shaking form up. Howl's awareness began dimming. The man looked over at the colonel wearing gloves. The colonel nodded, and the ground began marching back into the light. The second the light hit Howl's eyes, she lost her frail hold on consciousness.


	2. Safe

Howl was fast asleep in a Central hospital. She'd slept for days, and the doctors confirmed she was not in a coma, she was not mentally or physically abused, or starved. She was young still, but it was impossible to tell how long she'd been locked away.

The colonel sat at her bed side, looking over her charts. Howl blinked rapidly and opened her eyes. The colonel looked over and smirked slightly. Howl looked at him and her eyes hardened. Gently, the man reached out his hand,

"My name is Colonel Roy Mustang. You are in a Central hospital."

As Roy reached out his hand, Howl recoiled away and grabbed the first thing she could reach, which happened to be a fork, and jabbed it through Roy's hand in her fear. Roy cursed and jumped up, holding his bleeding hand. Howl leapt out of bed and backed herself up against the farthest wall closest to the window, her eyes filled with terror and distrust. Roy noticed, and his expression softened. He left the fork in his hand, and spoke gently,

"It will all be okay. You're safe now."

Howl was silent. She looked out the window to her left, then back at Roy. Softly, she muttered,

"Not...safe…"

Roy's head cocked slightly. Howl's voice had been raspy and ragged from disuse, and she seemed to struggle to speak in standard English. Roy slowly moved closer, saying,

"You were found below ground, chained up. You are safe now. We'll protect you. Can you tell me your name?"

"...Howl…"

"Howl? Is that right?"

Howl nodded slowly, moving slower towards the window. Roy asked,

"How long were you chained up?"

"...A...long time…"

"How do you feel?"

"...I do not know…"

That was believable. After so long, it was not surprising Howl might not know how she felt. Howl opened the window and leaned out, breathing deeply the sweet fresh air, even if it was somewhat polluted. Roy pulled the fork out of his hand and rubbed the wound. Howl moved to a corner and crouched down, hugging her knees. Roy asked gingerly,

"What's wrong? You're free now. We thought you'd be more excited rather than melancholy."

"I'm not excited. But, should I be?"

Howl rested her chin on her knees and sighed. Roy moved slowly towards Howl, and Howl shuffled away, saying,

"...I do not like people. I do not like crowds. I do not like the public."

"You're socially inept, then?"

"If that is what you call it, yes. I do not like it in this hospital. I do not need to be here. I just, need to get out. Walk through the woods and breath."

"I can't let you do that. It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that you need more rest. You need time to heal."

"I have no wounds. However, I am tired. I will sleep, but when I awake, I will be long gone."

Roy stood.

"Well then, I'll let you sleep."

With that, Roy walked out the door and closed it silently, putting a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door. Howl walked back over and curled up in a little ball on the bed. Slowly, she drifted off to a deep sleep.


	3. Kidnapped

Roy Mustang returned then next day to visit Howl. As he stepped in, he froze.

The hospital room looked like it was ransacked by a starving chimera that had been searching for food. There was no trace, and no torn flesh or dead bodies, so Howl hadn't been injured. Wait, where was Howl? There wasn't a trace of the girl. Roy crept in carefully, looking from side to side. He called out tenderly, as to not scare the fragile girl, incase she was hiding,

"Howl? Howl, are you in here? Are you-"

A loud explosion shook the floor, causing the colonel to stumble. He directed his stumbling in the direction of the window and quickly threw it open.

Outside, Roy's entire world was crumbling.

Bodies littered the open pits that had erupted in the street. Buildings were collapsing and exploding. This was no trick of alchemy.

Another explosion splintered the air, and Roy found himself free falling through the air, clawing desperately for something to grasp to save himself, yet he found nothing.

As he fell, the hospital exploded as well, sending him flying into a nearby building, embedding himself in the roof tiles. A gasp exploded from his lips as his entire body froze and was filled with pain. For a moment, he feared he had broken his back.

Two tall young men wearing bone masks and black clothes leapt up beside Roy. He looked at them definitely, and attempted to snap, but then remembered he couldn't move. He cursed in his head, and snarled as the two masked men grabbed Roy, and heaved him over their shoulders. Both men leapt away with the immobilized man.

Not long after he disappeared, another was slammed into the roof as well.

Howl.


	4. Brewing Storm

Roy screamed and struggled all the while he was taken away, cursing and calling for help. His hands were bound behind his back and his gloves taken away and ripped into shreds, letting them go into the breeze. A gag was placed over Roy's mouth to silence his screams. The group that held him traveled far out of Amestris, until they came to a small freshwater pool in a hidden oasis in the woods. They all leapt into the water, strong hands keeping his from trying to escape. The men swam effortlessly through the water, diving deeper and deeper. Roy was quickly running out of air, and his energy was dissipating. Slowly, Roy's struggles ceased, and, just as he felt like he was going to slip from consciousness, the group exploded into an underground cave. Roy coughed and gagged for breath. The gag was removed, and Roy was dropped carelessly onto the cave floor, throwing up water and bile. He glared defiantly at his captors. The group merely laughed, kicked Roy in the stomach, and left. Roy cringed slightly, trying to ward off the pain of those heavy boots kicking him. He forced himself to sit, then get to his knees, and finally to his feet. Roy all but dragged himself back to the edge of that pool, and looked into the water. He knew he couldn't swim through that water with his hands behind his back, and there was nothing sharp he could use to cut his binds. Instead, with a sigh of defeat, he sunk down to the ground, and stared into the water. He glared at his reflection and muttered,

"C'mon, Howl. Come find me."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, back in Amestris, Howl had wiggled out of the roof she'd been smashed into. She'd leapt to another roof, but it exploded as well. She jumped away and landed on a pile of rubble. She snarled,

"BRIGGIAN! STOP THIS! GET OUT!"

There was a devilishly smooth laugh, and Howl whipped around.

Standing on the other side of the pile of rubble was a tall young man with short black hair. He wore a pair of ripped up black sweat pants and nothing else. His feet, which were bare, were tanned like the rest of his body. His chest was covered in scars and cuts, both fresh and old. Howl's clothes were ripped up and bloodied too. The man's eyes were a sharp amber color, as if they could see through Howl's soul. Howl narrowed her eyes.

"You've caused a lot of trouble here, Briggian! I thought I got rid of you after you caused me to fail to protect a true leader of Amestris!"

Briggian howled with laughter and sneered,

"Don't be dense, kid! Did you REALLY think you'd be able to protect that oaf!? After over fifty years, you haven't been able to fulfill your pact! You'll be alive 'till the sun blows up! Amestris hasn't had a true leader for over a century! Good luck finding one!"

Howl snarled and took a deep breath. She let out a howl that shot out sonic waves. Briggian was caught off guard, and was swept up by the sonic waves of Howl's Sonic Howl. Briggian slammed into a roof as well, and in seconds, Howl's foot was planted in his chest. Briggian coughed up blood in between his raccoonus laughs. Briggian swallowed a mouthful of blood, not intending to give his attacker the satisfaction of seeing how damaging her powerful Sonic Howl was. She'd always used that move, ever since the two met, and began fighting. The Sonic Howl was one of the most powerful moves Briggian had ever seen. Howl didn't know it, though. The Sonic Howl was a special move, that no other creature, besides Howl, seemed to know. She had an arsenal of some of the most rare and powerful moves. She just didn't know it yet.

Briggian's laughing died down and instead he took a few deep, calming, cleansing breaths. His voice was broken and hoarse, his throat and mouth covered in a thin layer of blood. He rasped out,

"You're, so, gullible, my little rival. You're an idiot. As smart as a goldfish."

Howl growled, but listened to Briggian. That tone in his voice told her he wasn't done speaking. She was right.

"In, the time that, you've been fighting with me, my, my boys, have, taken your, little friend. They've taken him to my place of confinement, and you'll never find him! We will drain his alchemical power! We will make sure his lineage ends!"

Howl narrowed his eyes and raised her fist above her head. She exclaimed,

"POWER-UP PUNCH!"

Her glowing fist slammed into Briggian's chest, and the man broke through the layers of rubble. The man didn't get up, and everything was still. Howl looked to the sky and hissed to the clouds,

"I'm coming for you, Mustang. Wherever you are!"

Howl's leg muscles bunched, and she leapt into the air.


	5. A Secret Meeting

Howl ran at unnatural speeds towards the forest. Something told her Roy was no longer in Amestris. She took one step into the forest, and doubled over, holding her head in pain. Howl's head throbbed, and she could sense the movement of every living thing. As small as an insect, to as large as the chimeras that lurked the outskirts of the forest. Her mind was being bombarded by information of even the most miniscule of adjustments, like the movement of the insects beneath her feet. It was overpowering.

Howl collapsed and buried her head in her hands, her tense body gradually relaxed as she focused on the sounds of insects. As her body relaxed, the pain ebbed. Slowly, she stood, keeping her breathing and mind even and cool. The pain ebbed and faded, but Howl could still sense the movements of everything in the forest, living and not. Slowly, she began to walk forward, all the information she was gathering being updated with every step. The walk became a jog, and finally run. The pain never returned, yet Howl knew every creature in the forest.

As Howl ran, she sensed a sudden yet faint presence of another human being. She stopped, and followed her senses.

In the bushes there were ripped up and scattered pieces of white and red gloves. Howl picked a piece up and took a deep sniff.

_Roy's gloves._

Howl dropped the shred and looked around, focusing on the scent she'd just inhaled.

Like a lightning bolt, the same scent hit all of Howl's senses. She rushed around like a chicken with its head cut off, searching for the scent. Roy's scent.

Howl slipped, and toppled head first onto the fresh water. She took great gulps of it, before diving down. Even though she was not sure why.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Back in Amestris, Briggian had crawled from the crater he'd been slammed into, and now laid there, panting and grinning. The man laughed, smooth and anything but sweet. However, it was cut short as he spit up all the blood he'd swallowed. Briggian collapsed onto his stomach, and rolled onto his back, gazing at the sky and grinning.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Exhausted, Howl drug her feet through the cave, deep rumbles bouncing off the walls. From the thunder outside, or her own aggravation that rumbled in her chest she did not know. Howl took careful, silent steps, the only sound being the sound of water dripping off her clothes.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, deep in another part of the cave, a meeting of thirteen people had been called. Thirteen people sat around a marble table in a large cave that was lit by unseen light sources. At the head of the table, wearing a white suit, was a young, pale man with dark black hair and violet eyes. Something sinister shone deep in his eyes. He was the leader of the group, and was now addressing another young man, who could be no more than a teenager, a few seats down the table,

"Yes, Mr. Samuels, this is all necessary. Once Briggian and Howl are gone, there will be nothing stopping us. Howl has not born a successor, and Briggian has fallen into our trap. He's convinced Howl is trying to destroy Amestris, and Howl thinks Briggian is trying to destroy Amestris. They'll destroy each other, then nothing will stop us."

That man was suddenly gone, and appeared behind the one called Samuels. Hot breath was on Samuels' neck, and a silver tray of scones was in front of him. The one with the purple eyes breathed,

"Scone?"


	6. War

Howl was lost. Very, very lost. Roy and Briggian where in this cave somewhere. Or it could be another cave. Howl really didn't know any more.

A deep laugh echoed in the cave. Howl stopped, growling deeply, but Howl didn't turn in the direction of the laugh. She merely growled,

"Baka! How did you survive?"

Briggian pulled a fake pout. He whined,

"Oh! Howl! Aren't you glad to see me?"

"No!"

Briggian's eyes darkened, and he pulled back his lips in a snarl,

"Fine."

Pain suddenly exploded in Howl's back, and an agonized howl ripped from her throat. Everything seemed to freeze, then Howl was coughing up blood.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

While Howl and Briggian battled, Roy Mustang, his hands bound tightly behind his back, stalked the perimeter of a small cave his kidnappers had thrown him in. His senses were straining, the cogs in his brain working overtime. He was trying to find a way out of this situation. Roy's hands were cocooned in rope, it was damp in the cave, so even if his hands were free and his gloves weren't in shreds back on the surface, he wouldn't be able to create a spark.

Roy sat down against a damp wall, leaning his head back so it touched the wall. He closed his eyes and sighed, running his tongue over his teeth. That's when Roy got the idea.

Roy quickly turned around and rose on his knees. He pulled back his top lip and began using his front teeth to scratch the cave wall.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Briggian and Howl slammed against opposite walls, both spitting out blood and glaring at each other in anger. Both let out a snarl and catapulted themselves off the wall. Howl drew her fist back and it began glowing a white-blue. Briggian bent his arm to the side slightly, claws glowing a sickly green. Howl and Briggian let out howls of pent up energy, and their attacks collided.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Roy stumbled back, gazing at the wall proudly.

A slightly shaky but pretty large transmutation circle had been scratched on the wall. His teeth hurt slightly now, but at least now he had a way out.

Roy got up and turned around. He pressed himself up against the circle, eyes closed in concentration, hands straining against the ropes to touch the wall. White exploded in the cave.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The thirteen members of the meeting that had been held in the underground cave had joined Briggian. Howl stood defiantly against them. Howl was in bad shape. She was shaking, and her eyes were glazing over. She couldn't keep up the fight much longer. Briggian seemed to know. A deep cackle echoed from his throat and he pulled his arm back, claws glowing that same sickly green color. He snarled,

"Poison Waves!"

He slashed the air, and five long sickly green lines came speeding at the unmoving Howl. The next two things that happened all happened in a blur. First, Roy Mustang, his hands free, burst through the wall he'd transmutated a tunnel into. He was right in the path of the poison waves. Secondly, Howl mustered all of her remaining strength to generate one last Power-Up Punch, and jumped. Roy waited, stunned but refined, to feel the pain of the killing waves, but instead, there was a weak but powerful exclamation of,

"POWER-UP PUNCH!"

Howl was right in front of Roy, her fist jammed into the ground. The waves from Briggian's Poison Claws had sliced deeply into her flesh. She had taken the attack, and used her Power-Up Punch to crumble the cave's foundation.

Massive cracks began forming and boulders fell from the roof. The water began to flood the cave, and Howl did not move. Roy stood there, shocked, as the cave shook and collapsed. Pain exploded in Roy's head, and all went dark.


	7. At Peace

When Roy woke up, his head was pounding. A groan ripped from his dry throat as he slowly opened his groggy eyes.

Riza Hawkeye, Jean Havoc, Alex Louis Armstrong, and Roy's other subordinates were all gathered around his bed, looking at him with concerned eyes.

Bed...Where am I?

Slowly, Roy sat up, wincing. He slowly realized he was in a hospital bed. He licked his dry lips, and, as if taking it as a cue, someone held water to his lips. He drank thirstily, and asked,

"H-How-?"

Riza cut him off,

"We found you a few days ago, drenched and unconscious with a large gash in the back of your head. You were about 12 miles away from the outskirts of Central. You were half buried under some rubble. You've been asleep since we got you to the hospital."

Roy nodded, his eyes glazing over as he recoiled into himself, thinking over everything that had just happened. Roy muttered distractedly,

"...How long until I'm released?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Two weeks later, Roy was released. The first thing he did was returned to where he'd been found. He drove until he was in a 1 mile radius of where Howl had died. Then, he got out of the car, and walked the remaining mile.

In the forest was a pile of rocks and water. Some rocks were stained with blood. Roy pulled out some chalk and climbed the pile to draw a transmutation circle on the top boulder. He clapped, and pressed his hands onto the circle. A white light erupted, and when it cleared, Roy was standing on top of a stone sign that read,

Here is the final resting place of Howl. Strong, brave, gallant. She died thee eighteenth day of the seventh month of the year. When she was found she was chained up. She spent one too many nights locked out in the cold. But when it came to stand up, she took her own life to save another's.

Roy smiled as he read his inscription.

Meanwhile, on a small hill a few feet away, Howl was sitting beneath a tree. But, it wasn't normal Howl. It was Howl's spirit. Howl had protected Roy with her life, and so had fulfilled her accord. Roy was the true leader because of his desire to make Amestris a better place. Briggian, however, was a different story. The meeting of 13 people had convinced Briggian Howl wanted to destroy Amestris over 50 years ago, and so got him to imprison Howl. This caused Howl to believe Briggian wanted to destroy Amestris, when in truth, the gathering of 13 people had wanted to destroy Amestris. However, when Howl collapsed the cave, it killed her, Briggian, and the gathering of 13. Briggian, in truth, had a good and righteous heart, and a fierce sense of right and wrong. When he tough Howl was going to destroy Amestris, he was blinded and fooled.

Howl watched Roy, smiling. Briggian's spirit walked over, and smiled at Howl. She smiled back at him. Briggain sat down beside Howl, watching Roy with her. Briggian scooted closer to Howl, and put his arm protectively around his kid sister.


	8. A Home In Our Hearts

Every year, on the anniversary of Howl's death, Roy took some time off the spend a week camping in the 1 mile radius where Howl had died. On July 18, if he traveled to the top of a hill, beneath the constellation of a wolf, as a cool wind blew, some times, he would hear a faint singing mingling in with the sounds of nature.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

On July 18, when Roy Mustang stood beneath the constellation Beezar The Blind Wolf, Howl and Briggian would throw their heads back, and sing a prayer to their ancestors, begging them to allow Roy Mustang into their homeland when he died.

Now, on the 18th, as Howl and Briggian's spirits looked at Roy gazing at Beezar, they threw their heads back and began to plead with their ancestors,

_Walk tall beneath these trees boy!_

_Scarred by the fallout!_

_We are all right behind you!_

_So evil will never touch you!_

_The moon, let it guide you!_

_When the earth cracks, we'll all know how to fight!_

_Don't be afraid of the dark!_

_The dark is merely a messenger of loneliness!_

_We know where you've been boy!_

_We've watched you beside the streams!_

_We've watched you walk through the trees and hills!_

_And we've walked with you!_

_The moon!_

_Let it guide you!_

_The moon!_

_Let it guide you!_

_And I, shall save you a home in our heartlands!_

_And I, shall give you a heart, in our homelands!_


End file.
